City of Plano revamping 'Thoroughfare Standards,' first major roadway standards update since 2009
City of Plano
Nationally recognized for quality of life and favorable business conditions. For job opportunities, visit Plano.gov/Jobs
The City of Plano is updating its Thoroughfare Standards Rules and Regulations (the document covering the design standards for city streets and transportation systems). It will soon be renamed the Street Design Standards.
These updates will incorporate national best practices for street design, add context-sensitive designs to the City’s street network, as well as implement transportation recommendations identified in the Comprehensive Plan 2021. The goal is also to combine all the street design regulations into a single document, making it easier for anyone to utilize and refer back to.
So why is this update needed?
The current standards were adopted in 2009.?Since then, Plano has transitioned from a primarily new development phase into a mainly developed city with a well-established built environment.?Roadway standards set in the late 2000s may no longer be applicable to guide the design of transportation facilities for existing and new development.?Additionally, design standards accommodating multimodal facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as neighborhood traffic calming best practices, have matured in recent years.?
The Thoroughfare Standards were last updated in 2009.?Proposed updates will modernize standards with national best practices.?Sections will include intersections, medians, turn lanes, street lighting, right-of-way visibility, driveways, and more.
What will the updates focus on?
The updates will modernize standards with a focus on designing Plano roads for all modes of transportation, such as bike lanes, pedestrians, and transit.?The updates will also modernize curbside management policies for rideshare technologies like Uber and Lyft.
Basic design standards will be established for seven functional classifications of public roadways in the City like freeways/tollways, regional and major arterials, major and minor collectors and local residential streets.
Who will the updates affect in the future?
The updated standards will be used as a professional design resource for the City, the professional development community and any individuals involved in the planning and design of the City’s street network – both public and private.
Traditonally, Plano's roadways have utilized the same design approach for all streets, but the updated standards will add context-sensitive design considerations to Plano's street network. This means that city street design standards will include variation to complement adjacent land uses and influence the desired character of the public realm.
The Future Land Use Dashboard established in the Comprehensive Plan 2021 includes goals and recommendations for transportation and street design. transportation-related elements. Updates to the Street Design Standards will incorporate this direction by introducing new context-sensitive design standards for four land use contexts:
领英推荐
These context designations provide direction for determining necessary variations in street design to best serve adjacent land uses.
City streets will be designed to complement adjacent land uses and influence the desired character of the public realm.
What about Downtown Streets?
In the 1960s thru the 1980s, Downtown Plano had a unique street classification system compared to the rest of the City. The majority of streets in Downtown Plano were originally constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, long before city-wide standards were put in place.
Updates to the Thoroughfare Standards will include custom street design standards that are tailored to Downtown's unique charm and character.?This will include wider sidewalks, on-street parking, street trees, and other pedestrian and bicycle amenities. A downtown inset map will consist of a set of street types that establish consistent right-of-ways in the downtown and support the Character Defining Elements of the Downtown Corridors Future Land Use category.
Mark your calendars for a Downtown Plano Design Standards & Downtown Streets Open House on March 29 where you can voice your opinions related to the downtown street cross sections and updated standards.
Will this update address traffic?
The updates will include procedures for traffic studies prepared as part of the zoning and development process, including Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA).?Additionally, procedures for the placement of neighborhood traffic calming devices are included in the updated standards.??
How can I get involved?
The City welcomes your comments on the Street Design Standards.?We invite you to review the drafts throughout this article and online at PlanoCompPlan.org and submit your feedback to City staff.?Please call us at 927-941-7151 or email [email protected] with questions or comments.?
Our goal is to complete the public hearing and plan the adoption process by mid-June. We appreciate your feedback!
The plans will be discussed at the July 17th Planning & Zoning meeting and the public is welcome to attend and give comments in person as well.
The video below is a visual representation of this article, feel free to watch and share!